Background -- Ethical theory in the Western intellectual tradition -- The rise of the administrative state and the quest for legitimacy -- Bureaucratic power and decision-making: rule by giant pygmies? -- Bureaucratic power -- Decision-making and the ethical administrator -- The organizational and legal environment of the administrative state -- Organizational theory and behavior: implications for ethics -- Administrative law -- Core functions of the administrative state -- Ethical issues in personnel management -- Government budgeting: allocating resources in an age of scarcity -- Public policy and management in the administrative state -- Conclusion -- The future of public administration and ethical implications